Backing up data and personal files (often together referred to as “personal data” herein) from computer storage disks has been a well-known practice for many years. Backup is the activity of copying files or databases so that they will be preserved in case of equipment failure or other catastrophe. Backup is usually a routine part of the operation of large businesses with mainframes, as well as the administration of smaller business computers. For personal computer users, backup is also necessary so that a user does not lose important personal data including family photos, home videos, music libraries, tax information, and the like.
Personal computer users can consider local backup or cloud backup. Two major reasons exist why data needs to be backed up. The first reason is that the disk hardware may fail, resulting in an inability to access any of the valuable data stored on the disk. This disastrous type of event is often referred to as a catastrophic failure. In this case, assuming that backups have been performed, the files may be restored from the most recent backup. Fortunately, new computer disks and controllers have become more reliable over the years, but the possibility of such a disaster still cannot be ignored. The second reason for backup is that a user may inadvertently delete or overwrite important data files. This type of problem is usually much more common than a catastrophic hardware failure, and only the destroyed file(s) are typically restored from the backup medium to the original disk.
Cloud backup, also known as online backup, is a strategy for backing up data that involves sending a copy of the data over the Internet to an off-site server. Cloud storage can bring some significant risks. A user can lose access to the account, data can become corrupted, or the cloud service provider can delete it either by accident or deliberately because the user has not paid the bills. Also, the personal data in a cloud-based backup system might be readable by other people and may be vulnerable to hacking or failures at the cloud service provider.